Google Hangout on Air: Watching YouTube Videos

One of the advantages the Google Hangout (GHO) has over Skype is the ability to watch YouTube videos together at the same time. I especially like this feature for online learning. When students are asked to collaborate together Google Hangouts can be a way for small groups to get together in real time. If the instructor creates or provides YouTube videos for instruction or to lead the discussions the small groups can watch the videos together in real time and discuss them.

Add the YouTube App

As you hover over the Google Hangout window options show up on the left hand side. If you do not see the YouTube app as one of the options click on the dot dot dot (…) and choose to “Add apps.”

Find the YouTube app tile and choose to “Add to video call.”

Go to YouTube App

Each person in the hangout must manually choose to go to the YouTube app. You will want to instruct everyone in the hangout to choose this option.

Add Videos to Playlist

Someone in the group needs a video to share with the group. If the teacher has specific videos for the group to watch the video links will need to be provided and one student in the group will need to add these videos to the GHO playlist. Click on the blue “Add videos to playlist” button.

One person in the group pastes the YouTube URL into the search and presses the search icon. Microphones of everyone in the hangout are automatically muted. Anyone in the hangout can add videos to the playlist this way. Click the blue “Back” button to see the videos.

Watch Together

This is intended to be a collaborative experience. If one person in the hangout pauses the video it is paused for everyone. Pressing the next or previous icon next to the pause button advances everyone to the next YouTube video in the collective playlist.

Recording Paused

Due to copyright issues with videos if the hangout is a Google Hangout on Air the broadcast will be paused during the shared video watching time. If the intent is to record commentary about a video while watching it, a Google Hangout on Air is not the way to accomplish this.